White County budget committee approves multiple FY25 amendments, school capital requests and ambulance purchase

The White County Budget Committee approved a slate of fiscal year 2025 budget amendments and year‑end reallocations and cleared several school funding items to proceed to the full county commission or the school board.

Chad Martin, finance staff member, told the committee the packet included 12 general‑fund amendments ranging from a $90,000 appropriation for jail medical claims to a $395,000 appropriation to buy a new ambulance and power‑loading system for White County EMS. "The budget amendment that you see here is, budget amendment, number 1. It's, a budget amendment for the jail medical claims. It's a $90,000 budget amendment to appropriate funds required for hospital doctor treatments, outside of the jail and also high cost medication that is not covered under our contract for inmates," Martin said.

Why it matters: The package adjusts spending authority across departments to reflect unplanned costs, new grants and year‑end projections. Several items require full commission or school‑board approval; others were handled within committee under year‑end reallocation rules.

Major items approved or forwarded

- Jail medical claims: $90,000 appropriation. - Sheriff department reallocations: $102,000 moved to cover overtime and medical insurance overages; separate $6,909 appropriation for a state law‑enforcement hiring/training grant for three employees; $97,000 for gasoline overages; $20,000 from a U.S. Department of Justice bulletproof vest grant. - Refunds and EMS/library support: $18,000 for customer refunds (EMS and building department); $12,000 to appropriate donations for the public library's books and media budget. - Medical‑examiner/autopsy contingency: $20,000 for anticipated Q2 autopsy costs, with unused funds to roll into fund balance. - Tourism enhancement: $110,000 recognizing a $100,000 grant plus a 10% local match paid by the Chamber of Commerce; county to administer the grant. - Ambulance and power‑load system: $395,000 appropriation to purchase a new ambulance and power‑loading system for White County EMS; approved to be funded from this fiscal year rather than next.

Committee action and process notes

The committee approved all 12 general‑fund amendments and sent them to the full county commission where required. Martin explained that many of the adjustments move existing budgeted amounts between line items or recognize new grant revenues; "There's no new money in this budget. It's more of a clean up here at fiscal year end," he said about the year‑end reallocations that stayed within committee authority.

Highway and solid‑waste funds

The committee approved a highway‑fund amendment to appropriate funds for tractor repairs and a $2,900 reallocation within highway administration and bridge maintenance to cover projected line‑item needs. In the solid waste sanitation fund the committee approved a $20,000 reallocation from disposal fees to contracted services to correct a clerical setup error.

School funds and federal projects

Committee members approved multiple general purpose school fund amendments that will go before the school board, and asked that those be made contingent on school‑board approval. Notable items:

- Doyle Elementary School addition: $1,980,000 capital outlay for construction and architectural fees; Martin said the school system will fund the project from its general fund and that no bond is required. - HVAC improvements at the CTE building on White County High School campus: $181,424 drawn from restricted state funds tied to a building turnover from the state. - Reallocations within school salaries and operating lines to cover higher substitute and personnel costs; these are internal reclassifications rather than new revenue.

For fiscal year 2026, the committee approved five federal projects (to be presented to the school board) that would be funded through the state passthrough of federal education dollars if the school board and the Tennessee Department of Education concur. The five include:

- Title I (subfund 102): $1,085,013.34 - Title II, Part A (subfund 201): $151,400 - Title IV (subfund 411): $78,425.25 - IDEA Part B (subfund 901): $1,064,693 - Special Education preschool (subfund 912): $28,434

Martin said salaries and benefits are the primary uses of those grants, with remaining funds for instructional supplies, transportation and equipment where applicable.

Votes and outcome

For motions where roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the transcript, the committee used voice votes. Committee members repeatedly called for "All in favor, say aye," and there were no recorded oppositions on the items covered in committee. Several items were explicitly sent to the full county commission or to the school board when required by fund or by movement between major budget categories.

Ending

Committee members said the items would appear on the upcoming county commission and school‑board agendas where required. Martin also briefed the committee on a change in the revenue/resolution process this year because the certified tax rate had not yet been issued by the state comptroller; the committee will adopt a revenue resolution this month and set the official tax levy after the certified rate is issued.